a. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to an ease to use, economical protector for locks, and more particularly, for a protector for use with a lock having a body and a generally U-shaped shackle. The protector is particularly effective against the elements.
b. Description of the Prior Art
Locks are used universally to protect various types of personal property or to control access to certain physical locations. Often these locks are exposed to the elements and may be adversely affected by them. An extreme example is the use of padlocks on trucks. Truck drivers use routinely several padlocks mounted for example on the rear to protect their cargo from vandalism. As a result, the padlocks are exposed to rain, snow sleet, mud and all the materials found on roads. Frequently, because of this exposure, locks freeze up and the only way they can be removed is by breaking them. Of course, once broken, they cannot be reused, and the driver must buy another padlock or carry spares.
There were several attempts to solve this problem by providing lock protectors. One such protector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,795. However this protector is disposed about the whole lock and the hasp of a mail box is engaged by the lock. The only way this protector can be used is by mounting it on the hasp before the lock is installed. Thus the protector cannot be used in applications without hasps, or where two or even more elements are connected to by or coupled to a lock. Moreover this protector is difficult and time consuming to use.
Another protector is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,543. This is a two part protector molded to conform to a particular lock and hence cannot be used for a different lock. A further disadvantage of this protector is that it has several openings, which permit foreign material to enter the lock and hence does not provide adequate protection. Moreover the molded protector is difficult and expensive to manufacture.
Other lock accessories are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 858,264 and 1,581,953.